All Entries in the "TundraHeadquarters.com" Category
Ford Announces New ‘Merican Edition F150
Today’s announcement of a new Ford ‘Merican Edition F-150 is an attempt by the automaker to capitalize on the commonly held (and incorrect) belief that Ford’s truck is the most “American” truck available on the market today. From Ford:
Our new ‘Merican edition F-150 is a vehicle that was mostly built by ‘Mericans for ‘Mericans celebrating ‘Merica as the greatest country on Earth. Don’t tread on me, these colors don’t run, various patriotic sentiment, etc.
The new Ford F-150 Mexican 'Merican edition logo
When asked about the fact that the new ‘Merican Edition F-150 was only mostly built in the USA (only 55% of the parts in an F-Series truck come from the US or Canda), Ford’s spokesman replied “What do you want us to do – build a $1.2 billion dollar factory in Texas, bring in dozens of suppliers to build their own factories next to ours, and then hire thousands of American workers to build our truck? Do you have any idea how cheap it is to buy truck parts from Mexico? We’d like to hire Americans to build our truck and keep our domestic parts content at 90%, but we can make a lot more money if we build a lot of our parts in Mexico.”
More info about the new Merican’ Edition F-150:
Amazing Bullet-Proof Tire Coming To A Truck Near You
Armored vehicles do an excellent job of protecting soldiers and police personnel from bullets, shrapnel and other dangers encountered in the line of duty. Traditionally, however, these types of vehicles have always presented the same weak leak that can in some cases mean the difference between life and death: completely exposed rubber tires.
Steel might be able to resist the explosive force of an improvised explosive device, but the rubber that is used in making the tires that support the massive weight of these vehicles has lagged behind in terms of strength and resistance to puncture. It’s not just rocket-propelled grenades or machine gun fire that shreds tires, either – debris in the road, a hazard on both war-torn and peaceful roadways alike, can also quickly stop a convoy due to tire damage.
The Resilient Techologies Non-Pneumatic Tire. Yes, even military auto shows apparently hire models.
When tires blow in a hostile situation, the lack of mobility and the exposure of soldiers forced to replace those tires in order to get moving again puts lives at risk. Run-flat tire technology cribbed from civilian designs is only so effective in a combat zone, as both speed limitations imposed on damaged wheels as well as the distances between safe areas can both conspire against the safety of military personnel. These unique conditions, encountered every day by U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, prompted Resilient Technologies to create the Non-Pneumatic Tire.
Are Truck Owners Worried About Gas Theft?
Gas prices are creeping back up, and we’re wondering if you’re wondering about gas theft. Here’s a recent story from Cummings, Georgia that illustrates gas theft is indeed happeneing:
Four men wearing hooded sweatshirts were seen siphoning gas from a pickup truck…The thieves fled with about 10 gallons of gasoline in two separate pickup trucks. The theft is estimated at about $33.
$33 doesn’t seem like enough reward to put the time into stealing gas, especially if it’s split four ways…but criminals have never been known for common sense. A full tank of gas in a 2007 or newer Toyota Tundra is about 26 gallons, and if gas is $4 a gallon, that’s over $100 worth of fuel. With so much fuel in your truck, is there a reason to be worried? Keep reading to share your opinion:
A Tundra Owner’s Guide To Horse Trailers
The Toyota Tundra offers an impressive towing capacity, with the 2011 model maxing out at 10,400 lbs with the optional tow package installed. While five tons of towing power might seem like more than anyone would ever need to use, there are a few applications that routinely touch – or even crest – this lofty weight figure. Of those, one of the most common can be found in the equestrian world, where horse trailers, the animals themselves and the gear that goes with them can add up to a hefty load to haul around.
A 2007 Tundra pulling a Lakota HUT (horse utility trailer), i.e. 2 horse with a changing room. Image from MrTrailer.com review - click to see the original review.
What follows is a description of the basic horse trailer options for 2007+ Tundra owners, including an interview with Sundowner, a horse trailer manufacturer.
2011 Prius vs 1993 Geo Metro
I like to read as many auto blogs as possible, and occasionally I find something that strikes a chord with me. About a week ago, Christopher Demorro at Gas2.org lamented that the Prius isn’t advanced enough and that it was “falling behind.”
Christopher’s argument (which you can read at the link above) goes a little bit like this:
- Toyota had a 10 year jump on everyone in the segment that they didn’t take advantage of
- Toyota’s latest gen Prius only gets 50 mpg, which isn’t much better than the 40mpg Focus, Fiesta, Cruze, Elantra, etc.
- Toyota’s new Prius minivan was an obvious need years ago – why didn’t Toyota do it sooner?
While I’m not qualified to judge other auto writers for tearing down a manufacturer’s decision making – I do it all the time myself – Christopher’s whole rant against the Prius is poorly considered. I told him as much in the comments, we went back and forth, and here’s what we’ve come to:
93 Geo Metro XFI vs 2011 Toyota Prius - Gas Mileage Is Similar, But That's It
Christopher says he’d rather have a 93′ Geo Metro XFI than a 2011 Toyota Prius, since they both get about the same mileage and the Metro is cheaper and easier to fix.
if you put a Toyota Prius and a Geo Metro in front of me, and told me I could have either car…I’d probably take the Geo. It isn’t safer, or faster, or better looking, but it is simpler with an equivalent MPG.
OK Christopher you asked for it. Here’s why I say that’s ridiculous:
